Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-03

suit of rusty black and tall "stove-
pipe" hat--a costume which we had
| never seen before in the mines. He
must have had the hat a long time for
though IL had kept its shape, hay-
ing evidently been preserved with jeal-
GUS care, the edges were worn nearly
| white, as also portions of the rim, both
front and back. The elbows, knees,
and seams OF the black suit were in
pretty much the same condition. He
had lank, straight hair, apparently
bleached by the sun; long worn
looking face with suffering. far-away
look about the pinched, drawn mouth
and noticed particularly very long
unusually long--thin, flexible fingers.
He was gentleman, though, that was
certain, OF class not often seen Mt that
| tine in those mountains. 1 took him
| to be French southerner.
The morning had been very hot the
breeze rarely struck the river at that
season until the afternoon. The old
fellow was pretty well tagged out and
| Just as he was in front of our tent the
pack OF the foremost mule turned, and
lie gave broken.d down sort of sigh as
he stopped to fix il. Harry and sprang
up, and, ter'righting his. pack, it oc-
Cured to us both al the same moment
| that the old man had better take rest
but Harry spoke first-he was always
the quicker-and said:
professor and the title seemed
to me most appropriate" Professor.
your animals seem to be little used
up better take off the pack and breathe
them q little. 1t is just about noon,
and we shall be glad to have you stay
and take meal with u.s. You can make
Jim Town easy enoughif you start from
here at 3. Well help you with your
pack and start you of fresh and good
as new"
Well, the old gentleman looked so
grateful that we had the pack off in
minute, picketed out his animals to
grass, and then Harry, without saying
a word. brought him o little tin panni-
kin Of teddy, and then laid him out a
towel, soap, and water for a wash He
had Just freshened up q little when the
gong struck for dinner and the three of
us walked over to the beading house.
The boys were oil seated when we en-
tered, for we had sharp appetites those
deys. Captain Paine's seat at the head
OF the table was vacant, and Harry,
hearing that the Captain was busy
down at the race, gave it to the
stranger, we taking our seats beside
him. The boys all looked at the new
conner curiously but kindly; for, as l
have said, they were fine set OF fell
lows.
professor, said Harry, 81 have
not learned your name yet.
"Crescie is my name," he replied.
doctor Crescie; Cres-c-ie," he said,
repeating the syllables and accenting
the last two novels.
professor Crescie, gentlemen, said
Harry, introducing him and stickingto
the title.
The Professor arose and bowed,
whereupop, as | was glad to see, the
bows all rose to welcome the old gentle
man. Before they had time to sit
down again or recover from their sur
prise, he said short grace and pro-
nounced benediction, saying:
"May the blessing of God rest upon
this bospitable roof and upon all be-
meath it, Amen"
This took our men little aback, for
we were not accustomed to ceremony
of any kind in the mines. or to grace
before meat but could see they did
not like the Professor any the less. All
Of them looked at him curiously, how
ever, from time to time, when they
thought he was unobservant of them.
After dinner the three of Us walked
over to the tent and lay down in the
shade. / don't knowwhy | have called
the stranger the "old gentleman, for
he was not scarcely over forty, l
should think-but he had seen hard
times. evidently, and his unsuitable at
tire, dusty and travel-stained, enhanced
q certain weary, worn-out look. L no
ticed that all the men alluded to him as
1.-the old man." After awhile, being
rested and refreshed, he became quite
laxative, and we learned to our surprise
that we were to have him for our
neiehbor-that is, neighbor for those
parts.
81 am going to run tunnel into the
Table Mountain, gentlemen" he said /;
"up yonder, where you see that green
spot.
"A tunnel" said Harry, "what
fOr-water
"For water? All, no! for gold" he
replied. 81 shall strike water no doubt,
plenty of it, and it will not be unwel-
come, for l shall raise q little some
tbipgthere-some corn, melons, garden
stuff, and field of clover for pasture,
where nature has evidently prepared it
J for the hand of man."
"For gold" said Harry sharply,
! giving him keen look and on the sly
! touching his forehead to me signiti-
| cantly. "Did l understand you to say
for gold-up there on the top OF. the
! mountain ?"
, j must tell you that at this time
| nobody had dreamed of gold in the
? Table Mountain, or any other noun
5 tain, but in the river, creek, and gulch'
D channels. So our surprise was natural.
7 Eyes, for gold" said the old gentle
. man firmly and with combatative air
1 .'for pold-wby not? You are mining
in the channel of living stream.
. prorose to mine in the channe, OF O
! dead one. Yes" seeing our surprise,
"a dead river one to which your lit
D tie stream here compares as a rivulel
: to the Mississippi. This table.land
e which you see is not mere local
I formation. 1t has its origin in tho
l lofty volcanic region far away from
0 here, in Calaveras. 1t comes down on
4 the north side of the Stanislaus and
causes a continuous elevated ridge more
8 than two thousand feet above the river
n Just below the ferry the river-thC
r Stanislaus mean-has broken through,
t but it reappears little southwest o.
: Columbia and continues on the south
4 side OF the river for great many miles
4 Now" said the Professor, warming
G with his subject, his eyes glistening
a and his pale, worn face lighting up witt
a enthusiasm, "this so-called Table
d Mountain, the summit Of which is GOV
G cred by heavy bed of basaltic lava
e occasionally distinctly columnar, il
d nothing but an ancient river channel o.
r some kind, and what other channe
II could il have been save that of river
:, This little stream. looking at the Stan
e islaus contemptuously, "and other kin
e bred streams running parallel to it, are
N hut a modern formation--a thing o
>. x1otorJa,r Tho craat ctpoam which